Close
Prof Peter Sammonds
Professor of Geophysics and Climate Risks
Inst for Risk & Disaster Reduction
Faculty of Maths & Physical Sciences
- Joined UCL
- 1st Oct 2001
Research summary
I work at the interface of natural and social sciences. My research and knowledge exchange is on natural hazard risks, disasters and recovery. I have worked on earthquake mechanics, volcanoes and ice physics in the Arctic. I work on research council, British Academy and Royal Society-funded projects on Increasing Resilience to Environmental Hazards in Border Conflict Zones and Resilience Futures for the Rohingya Refugees. I have advised the UK research councils on the increasing resilience to natural hazards programme; been a member of EEFIT Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation teams, contributing to inter-disciplinary reports on disaster, taken up widely by government for policy advice; and been a Commissioner on the UCL–Lancet Commission on Migration and Health, 2017–18, whose report has been influential. I am currently the Gender and Intersectionality Ambassador for the UKRI network+ GRRIPP project led by the IRDR Centre for Gender and Disaster.
Teaching summary
BSc Module lead, IRDR0023 Practice and Analysis of Humanitarian Action
BSc Module lead, IRDR0020 Climate and Natural Hazard Risks
MSc IRDR005, Seminars and Southwest England field course
I was:
Founding Lead, BSc Global Humanitarian Studies
Founding Director, MSc Risk and Disaster Science
Founding Director, BSc/MSci Geophysics
Founding Director, BSc/MSci Earth Sciences
I established and taught:
GEOL GH07/GG09/M002 Earthquake Seismology and Earthquake Hazard (MSc/MSci)
GEOL 3030 Field Methods in Active Tectonics (3rd yr UG)
GEOL C450 Glaciology & Environment, 3rd year course
GELO B252 Geodynamics (2nd yr geophysics course)
GEOL B254 Earth Physics (2nd yr geophysics course)
3rd year Abruzzo and Vesuvius geophysics field course
3rd year Glaciology and Environment field course
I have taught:
Geological field work (1st year), Marche, Italy
Education
- University College London
- Doctorate, Doctor of Philosophy | 1988
- University of Bristol
- First Degree, Bachelor of Science | 1981
Biography
Director, UCL Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction and Head of Department, 2010 to 2022
Professor of Geophysics, UCL, 2001 to present
Gender and Intersectionality Ambassador for the UKRI network+ GRRIPP, 2020-23
NERC-ESRC Strategic Advisor, Increasing Resilience programme, 2010 to 2016
Deputy Head of Department, Earth Sciences, UCL, 2006 to 2010
Professor, Centre for Earthquake Prediction Research, Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 1999.
Royal Society University Research Fellow, Dept. of Earth Sciences, UCL, 1992 to 2001.